And the former Charlton Athletic player reflected: “When you set the agenda to the team you have to win.

“We have slipped up in these games in the past.

“At half-time we were in total control really.

“The first 20 minutes of the second half we didn’t apply enough pressure really.

“I felt we looked a little bit tired. Whether that was with the boys travelling for internationals or not.

“But we were hanging on a little bit. We had good chances to wrap the game up.

“On the break we had three or four big chances to score before they scored.

“We then made a mistake on our set play and suddenly we were in danger.

“Norwich applied themselves very well.

“Fer was a problem for us – he played well and announced himself in the Premier League on the big stage so well done to him.

“For us it’s three wins on the trot.

“We had good players coming off the bench to affect so we are in good shape.”

Pardew introduced both Papiss Cisse and Hatem Ben Arfa in the closing stages.

Yet neither were able to put the lid on the game as Norwich refused to go quietly.

Pardew said: “It is frustrating because you want to finish games off.

“We didn’t manage to do that. But nevertheless it is difficult to argue with the players when they are putting this in.

“There were a lot of things that were good about our game like our discipline, our defensive work and our shape.

“It was with the ball I thought we could have been better.

“But that bodes well going forward.”

Pardew expressed his disappointment that Cisse wasn’t slipped in by Moussa Sissoko, with the French international opting not to pick the striker out when he was just yards from goal late in the second half.

He said: “He’s a striker and when we play well, he needs to score goals.

“He looks sharp in training and that was reflected on the pitch.

“He should have been put in today by Moussa, but Moussa just delayed the pass a little bit.

“But I don’t think there’s anything tactically that is a problem for Papiss.”

Pardew was pleased with the contributions of Shola Ameobi.

United fans chanted Ameobi’s name in recognition to the Toon player’s qualification for the World Cup with Nigeria.

And Pardew said: “It’s very rare that I have played Shola and had a poor game out of him. I can name three or four since I have been here.

“He has got to keep that consistency, though, because he has got real competition up there now. Loic is almost nailed on with the goals he is scoring, but Papiss is knocking on the door and Hatem, so he needs to play well and he did today.

“Fair play to him, he has had that competition from a lot of players here and at the minute, he is keeping them at bay, and good for him.”

Meanwhile, United defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa hailed the defensive display of the Magpies against Norwich.

Yanga-Mbiwa, who was fielded at right-back, reflected after the game: “We played together, defended together and attacked together. The manager asked us to stay compact.”